Not hard to find positives in prep athletics

In a year that has been dominated with negativity on the collegiate and professional sports landscape, I can honestly say that it makes me happy to be covering high school sports these days.

With this being my last column of the year, I figure this is the right time to reflect upon some of the area’s most memorable moments of 2011:

Hail to the state champions

In February, five Marmion wrestlers captured individual titles at the Class 2A state tournament in Champaign. The early portion of the tourney was dominated by the Cadets, as the list of champs included Johnny Jimenez (103 pounds), Jered Cortez (112), George Fisher (119), Ben Whitford (130), and Bryce Brill (135).

Last May, West Aurora junior Doug Sullivan earned the state pommel horse title with a score of 9.55 in the boys state gymnastics meet at Lincoln-Way East. Sullivan, who placed eighth in the all-around standings, also was 10th on high bar.

Kaneland senior Taylor Andrews posted a record-breaking time of 14.27 while winning the 110-meter hurdles title at the Class 2A meet in Charleston.

One month later, Kaneland’s baseball team claimed the Class 3A title with an 11-3 victory over Oak Forest in Joliet. Coach Brian Aversa’s Knights, who entered postseason play with a 19-10 record, were led by captains Bobby Thorson, Sam Komel, Joe Camiliere, Corey Landers, Kyle Davidson, Drew French, and Brian Dixon.

In November, the city of Aurora celebrated its first state football championship, as Aurora Christian capped a 13-1 season with a 34-7 victory over Mt. Carmel in the Class 3A title game in Champaign. Senior quarterback Anthony Maddie ran for 208 yards and 3 TDs while also throwing a pair of TD passes for coach Don Beebe’s Eagles.

Last month, St. Charles East senior Emma Smith earned the 200-yard IM title at the girls swimming meet in Winnetka. Her time of 2:02.82 was more than a second faster than second-place Sarah Sykstus of Rosary (2:03.88).

Seconds are served

St. Charles North junior Oshay Hodges cleared 6-7 to place second in the high jump at the Class 3A state track and field meet in Charleston, while Batavia’s Rob Mohr was second in the 110 hurdles (14.27). Marmion junior Pete Stefanski also cleared 6-7 to finish second in the high jump at the 2A meet.

In October, Marmion’s golf team finished second to Belleville Althoff at the Class 2A state tournament. Seventh-place individual finisher Matthew Fazio, Liam Creamer, Zach Woytych and Marshall Kanute paced the Cadets.

Led by pitcher Amanda Ciran (24-2) and hard-hitting infielder Taylor Russell, St. Charles North’s softball team advanced all the way to the Class 4A state championship game before losing a 9-8 decision to Moline. The senior-laden North Stars finished 32-4 in Tom Poulin’s first year as head coach.

Third is the word

West Aurora’s Nicholas Drendel (42-1) placed third at 125 pounds in the Class 3A state wrestling meet last February, while Marmion’s Eddy Grahovec finished third in the 800 (1:56.78) at the Class 2A state track meet.

Freshman Emma Spagnola of West Aurora finished third in the long jump (18-2 ½) at the Class 3A state track meet.

Rosary’s finished third in the girls state swim meet last month.

Led by freshman Torree Scull, St. Charles East’s girls cross country team finished in a third-place tie with Naperville North at Detweiller Park.

After outlasting St. Charles North in the sectional semifinals and upsetting top-seeded York in the sectional finals, St. Charles East’s girls volleyball team placed third in the 4A state tournament in Normal. Making their third downstate trip in 5 years, coach Jennie Kull’s squad finished with a 35-7 record.

Supersectional symmetry

Seeded third in their respective regionals, Aurora Christian and Aurora Central Catholic defied the odds and won regional and sectional boys basketball titles in Class 2A and 3A, respectively, before falling in the supersectionals.

Nice way to finish

Mike Frasca, Mick Maley and Brad White helped lead Marmion’s boys soccer team to a fourth-place Class 2A state finish last month in Kevin O’Connor’s final season as head coach. O’Connor finished with a 253-104-36 mark during his 16-year tenure at Marmion.

Football fantasy year

While their state title dreams may have been dashed, Batavia and Kaneland experienced plenty of thrills on the football field this season. Batavia, led by senior quarterback Noel Gaspari, tight end/defensive end Cole Gardner, and fullback/linebacker Alec Lyons, recorded its first 9-0 regular season en route to winning the Upstate Eight River crown. The Bulldogs reeled off 12 straight wins before suffering a Class 6A semifinal loss to Prairie Ridge in coach Dennis Piron’s first year at the helm.

Meanwhile, Kaneland also won 12 consecutive games, including down-to-the-wire postseason victories over Belvidere, St. Francis and Rochelle, before losing a 35-31 semifinal decision to eventual Class 5A state champion Montini. Coach Tom Fedderly’s Knights were led by senior WR Quinn Buschbacher and sophomore QB Drew David.

Six shooters

St. Charles North’s girls and boys soccer teams both stretched their regional title streaks to 6 with victories over Elk Grove and Geneva, respectively.

Regional champs...at last

Led by Lalo Cuautle, Anthony Torres and Cody Witkowski, Batavia’s boys soccer team captured its first regional title in 16 years with a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over host Waubonsie Valley last October.

Favorite column

Last January, I wrote about the strong bond between St. Charles North’s girls basketball players and Janna Blowers, one of the North Stars’ team managers. I learned that there are far more important life lessons being taught by coach Colleen Brennan.

Tough to say goodbye

Jim Wheeler, who served as Pottawatomie Golf Course manager and PGA golf professional for 31 years, announced his retirement last February.

Geneva girls basketball coach Gina Nolan, who guided the Vikings to three straight sectional titles and a fourth-place state finish in 2009, resigned following the 2010-11 season to concentrate on her health.

Last spring, Brian Clodi was not retained as St. Charles East boys basketball coach after a controversial unfavorable review.

Welcome back

Two months ago, St. Charles East announced the hiring of Len Asquini as its head baseball coach. Asquini, who guided the Saints to the 1999 state championship, spent 8 seasons (1996-2003) at the helm. Now he’s back along with former Saints head coach Mark Foulkes, who takes over as an assistant coach.

I’ll be back

Thanks to all of the readers. My column will return in January. Happy holidays.

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com